BLOG – Doré Kittrell

I’m heading to ComplexCon in Long Beach this weekend, and after being unable to attend in 2019, then having to attend virtually in 2020 due to the pandemic, I’m excited to finally get to enjoy this one-of-a-kind experience in person.

If you’ve never heard of it, ComplexCon is a two-day festival where streetwear, art, exclusive drops, live music, and bomb-ass food come together in a glorious spectacle of culture and creativity. Returning to Long Beach Nov. 6th and 7th, the event is co-hosted by J. Balvin and Kristen Noel Crawley, and includes performances by A$AP Rocky and Turnstile, more than 20 food vendors at the First We Feast Lagoon, and some of the most-coveted artists, streetwear, and luxury home good brands from around the world bringing their latest merch and limited-edition drops.

Here are my five reasons why I wouldn’t miss it for the world:

1: The Art Experience

Crystal boombox sculpture encapsulating 80’s/90’s cassettes by Rhyme Capsule.

I’m sure you guessed that my number one reason would also be my number one passion: visual arts. No doubt I’m looking forward to seeing installations and releases from creators such as Rhyme Capsule (@rhymecapsule), Matt Gondek (@gondekdraws), and Mr. Flower Fantastic (@mrflowerfantastic).

2: Hypland x Hello Kitty Carnival Pop-Up

Hypland x Hello Kitty carnival pop-up.

As a bona fide 90’s Kid™ who has many fond memories of the Sanrio store at the mall, I’d be doing 12-year-old me a disservice if I didn’t check out this Hypland (@hypland) collaboration featuring Sanrio’s Hello Kitty on a Ferris wheel, retro ice cream truck, and carnival games. Although I’d also love to see this done with my *favorite* 90’s Sanrio character: Badtz Maru.

3: Individualist d.i.y. screen-printing KIT

The screen print kit is an invitation to experiment with color and composition, and to express one’s creativity.

Print your own tees or take a full kit home and design it how you want it with an INDIVIDUALIST® (@individualist.lab) collaboration with XLARGE (@xlarge_us) DIY Screen Printing Kit. I’d love it if I could learn how to make shirts myself. I’ve previously worked in the screen printing biz as an apparel graphics designer, and although my involvement with the process was complete once we output the color separation films, I was always curious about the steps from concept design to finished, printed product.

4: First We Feast Lagoon

Lechón Asado Yuca Fries with garlic aioli and pink pickled onions from Señoreata.

I’ll be honest, I was mostly raised on Southern-style cooking, microwave dinners and fast food, and as such, my adult palette wasn’t very well developed beyond ketchup, butter, and Sweet Baby Ray’s. Thankfully, living in LA has exposed me to the world of food trucks, which allow me to experience new foods and new cultures while on a budget, as well as to foodie bloggers who capture LA’s diverse dining options in the most flattering ways, just like these dank-looking fries from Señoreata (@senoreata).

5: Friendship Exchange

Friendship Exchange guests include Nick Diamond and Trinidad James.

Friendship CLB (@friendshipclb) is sitting down with some of the most influential minds in fashion, art, music, sneakers and beyond in a series of conversations on the topics that examine a deeper understanding of each other, our culture, and the passions that inspire us.

Stay tuned to for an update on my full ComplexCon 2021 experience!

I haven’t done this since I had a Livejournal back in 2003… which was so long ago, I don’t remember if “blogging” was even a word yet. I also don’t remember all the super-deep and edgy things I “blogged” about at 16. My high school crush? Failing my driver’s permit test twice? Must have been riveting 😛

2018 was a little more recent, but with it brought so much growth and transformation to my life, I felt I should document it — publicly on the internet, of course. It’s 2019, if it’s not on the internet then it didn’t happen 😉

For most of my life I’ve been shy, soft-spoken, crippled by my social anxiety, and have had a tendency to let my insecurities get the best of me. There are a countless number of times where I avoided something I wanted because I’d convinced myself that I didn’t deserve it, or whatever.
It’s like how some people dream of being famous and/or successful, but they’re so afraid of it actually becoming a reality that they never finish writing that book, or audition for that part, or ask that girl out, or whatever it is they want to do, because inaction is easier than giving it your all and still failing.

This was the first year in my life where I really pushed myself out of my comfort zone. Last January, after hitting an all-time low in life at the end of 2017, I flew home to Maryland and spent some days or maybe weeks in solitude to reflect on the things I liked about myself, the things I didn’t like, and all of the things I needed to change. The conclusion I came to was: I needed to grow the F up.

That meant I had to develop some self-confidence, put myself in situations that made me uncomfortable, and learn how to accept failure and being rejected.

2018 brought me some good, some bad, and some ugly, just like every year… but this was the first year where I felt in control of my future, and I now possessed the maturity to accept the things I couldn’t control with grace and the courage to keep it moving.

After being recently laid-off from a position with a company I’d planned on being with for years, I spent a week retreating into my room and wallowing in my own self-pity. Years ago, I would let this depression spiral out of control for months until I had some shit to really be sad about (like being four months behind on rent). This time, I gave myself time to grieve, accept the feelings of loss and rejection, then focused on what my next move would be.

In 2019 ain’t nobody got time, especially for that.

Five Reasons I’m Hyped for ComplexCon 2021